Celebrity chef Justin Sutherland arrested in St. Paul over allegedly violating no-contact order

Twin Cities celebrity chef Justin Sutherland was arrested Thursday over allegedly violating a no-contact order after police found him with the woman protected by the order at a Halloween store in St. Paul.

Sutherland was booked into Ramsey County jail on suspicion of violating a domestic abuse no-contact order, which is a gross misdemeanor, according to a St. Paul police news release.

The arrest comes just three days after Sutherland, 40, agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge that he threatened to shoot his girlfriend this summer in St. Paul and hit her with a gun.

Sutherland appeared in court Friday where judge William Leary III released him on condition that Sutherland follow the rules of his supervision. Officials have not decided what level of supervision he must follow.

According to the news release, a St. Paul police officer working contractual overtime at Target, 1300 University Av. W., recognized Sutherland at the store with a woman. The officer, thinking Sutherland had an active no-contact order that barred him from being near her, alerted patrol officers as the couple left the store and got into a vehicle in the parking lot.

Officers spotted the vehicle in the parking lot of a nearby Spirit Halloween store, 1400 University Av. W. They confirmed the order was active, went into the store and took Sutherland into custody without incident.

The plea agreement reached Monday between Sutherland and the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office calls for a 360-day sentence to be set aside in favor of two years’ probation, 100 hours of community service and a chemical dependency evaluation. Sutherland also is barred from possessing a gun.

Sentencing is set for Dec. 13, when Judge Andrew Gordon will decide whether to accept the terms of the agreement.

Star Tribune staff writers Paul Walsh and Kyeland Jackson contributed to this story.